Beastie Boys

New York based hip hop sensation the Beastie Boys began in 1979 and has proven ever since to be one of the most enduring and trailblazing bands of its kind.

Beginning in 1979, the Beastie Boys were a punk band going by the name The Young Aborigines. By 1981, they were officially known as “Beastie Boys,” and the members consisted of Michael Diamond (Mike D), Adam Yauch (MCA), Kate Schellenbach, and John Berry.

Their first gig was less than prestigious, playing at Berry’s home. But the band immediately created a buzz around them, and before they knew it, they were opening for the Dead Kennedys, Reagan Youth, and Bad Brains.

By 1983, Berry left the group to pursue his own band, Thwig. He was replaced by Adam Horovitz (King Ad Rock). They released the rap track “Cooky Puss,” and it was an underground club hit.

There were more successes and shakeups throughout the mid-80s. Rick Rubin of Def Jam Records became the band’s producer. Rubin and most of the band were ready to revitalize their image into a rap group. They released the single “Rock Hard” in 1984, and Schellenbach became disenchanted with the group’s new sound. She left to join the band Luscious Jackson.

The Beastie Boys opened for Madonna in 1985 as well as joining the Raising Hell tour where they performed beside LL Cool J and Run DMC. The following year, after considerable exposure, they released License to Ill. It performed exceedingly well in sales and holds the distinct honor of being the first rap album to peak at number one on the Billboard charts, where it stayed for five weeks.

Their subsequent tour, which featured a motorized penis and women dancing in cages, was marked by several lawsuits and arrests. The Beastie Boys were accused of riling and intentionally provoking the audience.

Moving on from the controversy, their next album, Paul’s Boutique, came in 1989 under Capitol Records. Critics noted the band’s maturation with both sampling and technique. Check Your Head followed in 1992 with heavy jazz, funk, and punk influence. It was a huge commercial success, going double platinum.

Check Your Head was released on the band label Grand Royal, which went on to sign Sean Lennon, Luscious Jackson, and Ben Lee. They owned Grand Royal Records until 2001. There was also an associated magazine, Grand Royal Magazine, which hit the shelves in 1993. Within the magazine, the Beastie Boys are credited with coining the term “mullet” as well as naming the British band Sneaker Pimps.

Ill Communication in 1994 was another massive success for the band, aided by the Spike Jonze directed video for the single “Sabotage.” In the same year they co-headlined Lollapalooza with the Smashing Pumpkins. They also played several charity concerts for Tibetan human rights awareness.

1997 brought yet another chart topper with Hello Nasty. 1999’s compilation disc The Sounds of Science fared well too, but 2004’s To the 5 Boroughs put them right back at number one of the charts. Their most recent album, 2007’s The Mix-Up, went in a new direction, containing only instrumental tracks.

The Beastie Boys are credited as one of the first bands to have free, downloadable versions of their songs available on their website. Their Iraq war protest track “In A World Gone Mad” was the most downloaded track in April of 2003.

On September 27, 2007, the Beastie Boys had their nearly three-decade career validated when they were named one of nine nominees to the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.